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American eel are a catadromous fish species, spending most of their life in freshwater or estuarine environments, traveling to the ocean as adults to reproduce and die. Sexually maturing eel migrate to spawning grounds located in the Sargasso Sea, a large portion of the western Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas and south of Bermuda. American eel found along the eastern coast of Mexico are from the same population as eel found in the St. Lawrence River in Canada.

American eel have a multitude of life stages: leptocephali, glass eel (also known as elvers), yellow eel, and silver eel. Yellow eel are the primary life stage harvested by commercial and recreational fishermen.
Currently, American eel stocks are depleted. Much is still unknown about the species. Their range and life cycle contribute to the difficulties in sustainable management.

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Summer Meeting Alexandria VA / August 1-3 2017. The overarching highlight of the ASMFC Summer Meeting was the Menhaden Management Board which continued development of Amendment 3 to the Menhaden Fishery Management Plan. The Board received a stock assessment update and as was expected, Menhaden remain healthy and are not overfished

The American eel, with its long, sinuous, snake-like body, may be one of the most easily identifiable fish of the Atlantic coast. But what is truly remarkable about the eel is not its shape, but its life history. Eels are one of the few catadromous fish—fish that live out their lives in fresh and brackish